拈花惹草 — “To flirt with or pursue romantic relationships with many people”
拈花惹草 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to flirt with or pursue romantic relationships with many people”. To be promiscuous or engage in extramarital affairs. Literally, “To pick flowers and provoke grass”.
拈花惹草 Pronunciation and Pinyin
拈花惹草 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 拈花惹草
Origin and Story of 拈花惹草
During the time when Jia Lian's daughter fell ill, he lived apart from Wang Xifeng and found himself in a state of profound loneliness.
He suddenly recalled the cook Duo Guan's wife, a woman known for her striking beauty and coquettish nature, who was prone to flirting and engaging in affairs (拈花惹草). Driven by his desire, he dispatched a young servant to convey his intentions to her. Coincidentally, she had also secretly admired Jia Lian.
Soon after, Jia Lian went to meet her. Their encounter was instantly passionate, like 'dry wood meeting fierce fire,' and from that moment on, they began a clandestine affair.
Idioms Related to 拈花惹草
More idioms starting with 拈
- niān拈huá华zhāi摘yàn艳craft overly flowery or erotic verses
- niān拈gōng弓dā搭jiàn箭poised for action
- niān拈jīn斤bō播liǎng两haggle over every ounce
- niān拈duàn断zī髭xū须pondering deeply while writing poetry
- niān拈háo毫nòng弄guǎn管engage in writing or painting
- niān拈huā花yī一xiào笑a knowing smile or tacit understanding
- niān拈huā花nòng弄yuè月admire flowers and the moon
- niān拈huā花nòng弄liǔ柳to flirt with women
- niān拈huā花wēi微xiào笑a knowing smile of profound insight
- niān拈huā花zhāi摘yè叶to engage in frivolous sexual encounters
- niān拈huā花zhāi摘yàn艳craft suggestive, ornate language
- niān拈huā花zhāi摘cǎo草to philander or womanize
Recommended tools
Stroke Order Animator
Turn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4
Open the tool →
Writing Worksheets
Printable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion
Open the tool →
Bingo Cards
Picture and word Bingo for your class
Open the tool →
Chinese Text Image Generator
Create PNGs with pinyin, highlight character parts or remove strokes
Open the tool →Questions about 拈花惹草
What does 拈花惹草 mean?
拈花惹草 (niān huā rě cǎo) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to flirt with or pursue romantic relationships with many people”.
How do you pronounce 拈花惹草?
拈花惹草 is pronounced niān huā rě cǎo in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 拈花惹草 literally mean?
Literally, 拈花惹草 means “to pick flowers and provoke grass”. It is used to mean “to flirt with or pursue romantic relationships with many people”.
Where does 拈花惹草 come from?
拈花惹草 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to the modern era. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 拈花惹草?
拈：捏；惹：招惹；草、花：比喻好。比喻到处留情，多指男女间的挑逗引诱。